Brother, Son, Friend
by diamondxrain
Summary: No one had ever asked Itachi how he felt about the deaths surrounding his past, present, and future. They assumed he felt nothing, and were afraid to ask him in the first place. And likely no one ever would. At least, not until now.  Poor, doomed Tobi.
1. Itachi, present day

**Disclaimer: Quite obviously, I don't own Naruto.**

This story just randomly popped in my head somehow. This is just a short prologue, so the next chapters will be longer. Sorry if you see any spelling or grammer mistakes. The internet was down earlier, so my spell-check wasn't working. Enjoy!

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**Brother. Son. Friend.**

_prologue..._

Uchiha Itachi.

Brother.

Son.

Friend.

All until he gave them up for his own power.

He used to be thought of as the caring brother, the loyal son, and the trustworthy friend. He was the pride and joy of not only the Uchiha clan, but Konoha itself. Everyone wanted to be just like him. When he vanquished his clan and severed his ties with Konoha, it was thought that he had given up those bonds for something else.

Or had he?

It was thought that he sacrificed his feelings along with his family, and was now a ruthless killer who destroyed without mercy. Hate was his sole feeling now, not ones of dread and kindness. Murderers didn't have feelings.

Right?

His younger brother Sasuke once asked Itachi why he killed their clan, and Itachi responded with the first answer he could think of. The truth was, even Itachi didn't realize why he needed to kill them. He didn't even know what he was thinking after his many massacres, after he cleansed the crimson blood from his skin.

The Akatsuki didn't care much for their fellow member's mental health. They were all slightly insane in their own way. Very few of them even wanted world domination. They were forced into being members, one way or the other. Itachi was no different, so they left him alone. They all had their own lives, and their own problems to deal with.

No one had ever asked Itachi how he felt about the deaths surrounding his past, present, and future. No one had ever bothered to ask Itachi if he ever had nightmares of his clan's death, or if felt any guilt. They assumed he felt nothing, and were afraid to ask him in the first place. Besides, feelings weren't their business, only murder and deceit mattered to them.

When Itachi first joined Akatsuki, they were told of his murderous past. They didn't really care. They had all seen such behavior before. Most of them were like that anyway, but at least had some remnant of emotion left. Never the less, no one was concerned. They were in a serious organization with no time for child's play. Things were far too serious too be meddling in others business. Besides, Itachi may not even want help, and would kill them if they asked him about anything. Only Kisame brought up Sasuke, but rarely. Itachi avoided that subject the best that he could.

He was capable of killing anyone that stood in his way. That was all they needed and all they wanted to know.

However, not every Akatsuki member was smart or stoic enough to stay out of Itachi's way. This orange loving member in particular was probably the only hyperactive, goofy, pleasant, knuckled-headed ninja in Akatsuki. He was also dumb enough to pry into the others' personal lives, especially Itachi.

In other words, Tobi was doomed if Itachi got mad enough at him.

As fate would have it, Itachi and Kisame's team was meeting with Deidara and Tobi's team in Konoha's forest of death. Deidara was telling the two of his recent fight with Sasuke. Fortunately, both had escaped, but each was still heavily injured. Deidara needed to report on Sasuke's skill level and any other news relating to his new team, 'Hebi.'

For the most part, Tobi had remained silent (under punishment of death from Deidara) and listened to Deidara recount their battle, but he couldn't help but speak up. Just this once, he reasoned.

"Yeah, Sasuke was a really good fighter. Deidara almost blew up. Twice!"

"Tobi, shut up, un!"

"It's true! You know, Sasuke really looks like you, and he's scary, too."

This earned a blank stare from Itachi, Kisame trying to hold back laughter, and Deidara with a murderous look on his face.

"He said he wanted to kill you too, but we wouldn't give him any information about you at all. Nope, 'cause Tobi's a good boy!"

Tobi was apparently oblivious to Deidara shaking Tobi's shoulders, trying to get him to shut up before something drastic happened.

"I think he's still mad that you killed everyone else in your clan. I mean why'd you have to do that? It'd give us one less enemy, and your brother wouldn't be completely crazy. Besides, they were your family! Geez, are you really that uncaring or were you just drunk?"

Everyone froze.

Deidara quit trying to strangle Tobi, and backed up as far as possible away from the poor, doomed kid.

Kisame quit choking back laughter and just stared at Tobi like he had suddenly sprouted wings and an extra head.

Tobi, well Tobi just kept talking on and on, unaware that he'd most likely die a painful death in the next ten seconds.

Surprisingly, instead of strangling Tobi with his own innards, Itachi looked Tobi in the eyes.

"Hn?" was his reply.

"..."

No one had ever asked Itachi how he felt about the deaths surrounding his past, present, and future. No one had ever bothered to ask Itachi if he ever had nightmares of his clan's death, or if felt any guilt. They assumed he felt nothing, and were afraid to ask him in the first place. Besides, feelings weren't their business, only murder and deceit mattered to them.

And likely, no one ever would.

At least, not until now.

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I feel bad for Tobi. I just tried to make him as talkative and hyper as possible. Just so he'd be the kind of person to say the wrong thing accidently. Basically, he's just an older Naruto. Poor Deidara. At least Itachi won't kill Tobi. Actually, I probaly won't head back to the present until the last chapter. Most of the fic will take place in the past, showing Itachi's thoughts on everything from pre-massacre to present day. There will be at least seven more chapters, all twice as long as this once is. I'll try to update as frequently as I can. I'd appreciate if you could drop off a review with comments, concerns, critisism, or anything else, really. Flames are accepted as well, but I probably won't even read them. Thanks for reading. Ja ne! 


	2. Itachi, age 7

**Annoucement: **First of all, I'd like to apoligize for the extremely late update. Yes, I know it's been a month. I was so caught up with vacation, school, sports, and such, that by the time I looked back on this chapter, I was only a few paragraphs into the story, and it had already been a month since I last updated. Again, I'm sorry, not only for the late update, but if some parts seem a little rushed or broked. I'll manage my time more wisely next time, I promise. Okay, enough excuses, on with the story.

**Indicates current Itachi's thoughts.**

_Indicates younger Itachi's thoughs._

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_...chapter one..._

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**Why did I kill my clan? It was so long ago, and there were so many details. So many things led up to it. I researched, I discovered, I fought. Now, they're all gone. All but one. All I know was it started just before I graduated from the academy. I was seven years old.**

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_Hurry!_

Uchiha Itachi could be seen running through the streets of Konoha. He zigzagged through the crowd of people, eventually stopping at a small booth in the market. He was greeted friendly by the elderly woman working the counter.

"Hello, Itachi-kun. The usual, I assume?"

"Yes, please." His obsidian eyes shone with delight.

**My soul was not yet tainted by power still unknown to me.**

"Here you go," she said, handing him a small brown bag. "Don't get caught, now," she added with a short laugh.

He paid the woman, thanked her, and left in a rush. The young boy was still fast for his age, and was a blur throughout the streets of Konoha. Rushing into the woods, he worked his way around the trees until he came to a familiar clearing.

Kunai, shuriken, and burn marks were everywhere. The young Uchiha had long since mastered his aim, and had just perfected his Katon techniques. His father expected many hours of training everyday, which Itachi completed almost effortlessly. At least his father didn't know Itachi cut an hour off his training for this.

_Safe at last. Now all I have to do is go home and Okaa-san will just assume I was still out training._

The young Uchiha walked home and silently made his way through the back door. He looked around for Mikoto, his mother, but could not find her. He let out a sigh of relief and continued on to Sasuke's room.

"Sasuke?"

"'Tachi nii-chan!" Two year old Sasuke's eyes shone in delight at the sight of his brother.

"**I**tachi, **I**tachi"

"'Tachi!"

_Ugh. He better get that right someday. I'd never hear the end of it._

Sasuke pointed his little finger at the paper bag in Itachi's hand and giggled. He was spoiled by his brother, no doubt. Itachi knew Fugaku, his father, wouldn't exactly approve, but what he didn't know, couldn't hurt him.

"You want these, Sasuke-chan?"

Sasuke giggled again and outstretched his tiny hand towards Itachi.

Itachi grabbed a kunai from his holster and removed the bag's contents. In a matter of seconds, countless perfect slices of tomato laid on the prodigy's hand. Sasuke, being the impatient brother he was, immediately grabbed a slice. The young child let out a grin, showing off many of his newly-grown teeth.

Itachi couldn't help but smile at his brother's antics. Maybe Sasuke annoyed him sometimes, but he was still a cute, innocent little kid.

**He was so innocent back then. In truth, he was innocent until I intervened, but he still had no idea what being a ninja was really like. He had yet to realize the pain of loss.**

"You better enjoy it while it lasts," Itachi told Sasuke. "In year or so, Otou-san will try to make you give everything up and become a shinobi."

"I can be like 'Tachi nii-chan!" Sasuke squealed before sticking several slices of tomatoes into his mouth.

"Yeah, you can be just like me." Itachi frowned at Sasuke for a moment. "One difference though. I don't see how you can stand those bitter fruit/vegetable things over some nice sweet dango and tea."

**I guess that was the main way we were different. It seems childish now, but as we grew, we'd always argue on what was better: tomatoes or sweets. I sided with sweets, while Sasuke loved tomatoes.**

Sasuke laughed at that too and continued to stuff his face with the juicy red tomatoes. Itachi would have joined in with the innocent laughter had he not sensed a familiar chakra presence.

"Okaa-san," he whispered. She probably wouldn't care if Sasuke was eating tomatoes, but she probably wouldn't like a mess all over the carpet from the tomato juice. Like Itachi, she hated the smell of tomatoes too. This could not turn out well.

As Uchiha Mikoto entered the room, she could immediately tell something was wrong. Her eldest son, Itachi, held his hands cautiously behind his back and an unnatural grin on his face. Something was very wrong indeed.

"Itachi, what happened?" Mikoto asked suspiciously.

"Gomen nasai. Sumimasen."

"Wait, what are you sorry for? What is that on Sasuke's mouth?! What is that stain on the carpet?!! ITACHI, WHAT IS THAT SMELL?!!!"

_Uh-oh. Busted._

**Now, I miss the way Okaa-san could be so strict at times, yet so loving at others. I used to love my mother, even though it was Sasuke she really favored.**

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After several hours of scrubbing the carpet and spraying the room, Itachi left to go back up to his room. He lazily threw shuriken and kunai at the target on his bedroom wall. Every single one hit their intended location perfectly.

After a few minutes of this, Itachi rose up and reached for a book on chakra control. He paused when he heard a loud knock on the door. Peering out of the back door to his room, he frowned when he saw the Hokage and a handful of ANBU greet his father at the door.

_What's the Hokage doing here? He hasn't visited the Uchiha district since two years ago, when the Yondaime was killed. What business do they have with Otousan?_

Sarutobi spoke first.

"It's pleasant to see you again Fugaku."

"What is it, Hokage-sama?"

_Otousan always is one to get straight to the point. He does seem more tense than usual though._

"No need to look so forlorn. It's about your son, Itachi."

Itachi froze upon hearing his name. Fugaku didn't let the emotion show, but inside he was quite surprised. What had happened with his firstborn son? It had better be something impressive.

_There's news ...about me?_

"...I see. What is it?"

**Then came a moment I would remember for the rest of my life. It's bittersweet, I guess. It marked a new beginning of my life: as a shinobi. Yet, it led me astray. I preferred the way of the shinobi to simple pleasantries. I still do.**

"Actually, it's good news. As you know, Itachi has been the top student at the Academy for the past year he's been with us. We've all come to the decision to let him graduate. As usual he'll be on a three-person squad, even if they'll all be several years older than him."

Sarutobi was obviously waiting for a rare reaction from the normally cold Uchiha police chief. Once again, he was disappointed. Fugaku seemed to contemplate the news and nodded his head.

"I'll tell him. Good day Hokage-sama." He bowed his head before softly shutting the door.

A few of the ANBU seemed unsettled. Even though he was polite and showed respect, not too many parents would take the news of their child being a prodigy so coldly. It may have been obvious from the start that Itachi would graduate quickly, but only an Uchiha could show that little emotion.

Meanwhile, Itachi's head was spinning.

_Graduate? If I'm truly graduating this early, than surely Otousan will be proud of me. Too bad about the three-person squad though. Maybe if I can excel through all the ranks quick enough, I won't have to deal with them too long._

**Even as a small child, I was still focused on working alone. Later, I would work as a team, but always in control. Still, I was right. I would weave my way quickly through the ranks as a top rate shinobi. I have yet to know if Otousan was truly proud of me.**

Only seconds later, Itachi heard a firm knock at his bedroom door. Upon opening it, he saw the familiar stoic face of his father.

"Itachi, I assume you heard Hokage-sama. Am I correct?"

"Hai. I understood."

"Good, good. You truly are my son." Fugaku's features softened a little and his scowl dropped.

_He gave me a compliment? I was expecting him to tell me to work harder. Maybe he really is proud of me. It feels nice._

**That was the first time I'd received a compliment from Otousan. From then on, I tried to act like the perfect son towards him. He was even surprised when I finally turned on him. He should have known better. I **_**was**_** his son, after all.**

Then, Sasuke strode into his brother's room.

"'Tachi!" he exclaimed. "You're going to be a ninja!" This earned a laugh from Itachi.

"Yep, I guess so."

"I'll be just like you too. Right?" the toddler asked hopefully.

"Maybe, if you train hard."

"Will you help me train, nii-san?"

His eyes were so big, it seemed hard to refuse, but Itachi had to. He planned on continuing to train and just walk around on his own. It wasn't exactly the safest for a two year old. Itachi gave in to his own desires and motioned for Sasuke to come forward.

Eagerly, the two year old rushed forward at his brother's command, only to receive as sharp jab on the forehead.

"Forgive me, Sasuke. Maybe later."

Itachi ruffled his brother's hair and stepped out the doorway, leaving Sasuke behind to keep rubbing his forehead. Stepping out into the sunlight, he continued out of the Uchiha district and wandered into the center of Konoha. He kept walking towards the oh-so-familiar path towards the KIA memorial. It was a nice quiet place to train in solitude. He froze when he saw several of the ANBU accompanying the Hokage earlier.

From what he could tell, a brown haired shinobi was currently talking about students at the Academy. A grey-haired shinobi and black-haired kunoichi listened apathetically. From his hiding place in the bushes, he could hear most of the conversation pretty clearly.

"So, it seems there are some pretty nice graduates this year. They all seem pretty well trained. They should be excellent shinobi."

"You'd better hope so, Tianjin. You have to teach one of the teams. Team 1, if I'm not mistaken," the kunoichi responded.

"Yep. I even know that the one kid, Uchiha Itachi will be one of them."

_That guy's going to be my teacher?_

"Interesting. It seems like he's a prodigy. Hopefully that will be a good thing."

"What do you mean, 'hopefully'?"

"Well, think of the last few Konoha's had. First, there was Orochimaru, that stupid traitor."

_She thinks I might be like ...Orochimaru?_

"Then, there was Yondaime. A true ninja, of course, but now he's dead." This seemed to earn a reaction from the silver-haired ninja.

"Hey, maybe he'll end up like me."

"For Konoha's sake, we'd all better hope not, Kakashi." Tianjin repressed a snicker, while Kakashi scowled under his mask.

"What's wrong with being like me, Adriana?" Adriana broke out into a grin, as if she was glad he asked.

"Well for one, you're late, all the time. Two, you're a complete pervert."

"I am not a pervert!"

Apparently Adriana decided to back up her argument by pulling a rather questionable orange book out of Kakashi's pocket and waving it around.

"Hey, give it back!" Adriana sent the book flying back at her fellow ANBU. Said book hit Kakashi square in the face, leaving a wide red mark across his forehead.

"Baka. You deserved it."

"Hey-"

"Cut it out you two," Tianjin interjected. "Anyways, I hope you're wrong Kakashi. I've seen him out training before. If he becomes like Orochimaru, then we're pretty much doomed."

"Maybe he will end up like Yondaime. If what you say about his abilities is true, then he has a chance of being as great. Besides, Orochimaru grew up alone and twisted. Itachi has loving parents, and as far as I know, he's very close to his brother."

"True, but I'm afraid of what Fugaku is teaching him. You know how harsh and stoic not only he, but pretty much all the Uchihas grow up to be. One day, Itachi will turn out like that. Where will we be then?"

"Maybe he won't turn out like that. Obito never did," Kakashi pointed out with a glance at the KIA memorial.

"Yeah, but Obito's parents were nothing like Fugaku. Apparently, he expects Sasuke, at two years old, to begin rigorous ninja training soon. Not just shuriken and kunai, but jutsu as well."

_Just like he did for me. Is this really what people think of my father, of my clan? No, they're wrong. They have to be wrong._

As Itachi stepped backwards, he forgot to watch where he walked. A small twig cracked and a few leaves rustled. Realizing his mistake, he froze, and kept listening to the ANBU to see if they heard his movements as well.

"Kakashi, did you just hear something?"

"No, why?"

"I just thought I heard something moving in the woods. Probably just some deer or something."

"Eh, maybe. Still, you just might want to keep any eye on that Uchiha, just to stay safe. With that bloodline limit of his soon to be awakened, who knows what could happen?"

"True. Let's just hope he turns out all right, at least for an Uchiha. Some times I wished he wasn't a prodigy. Most prodigies abandon us in the end. He'll probably end up just like the rest of them."

Without wanting to hear another word, the shocked Uchiha sped off, now careful to conceal his movements. His face remained stoic, but his heart was pounding while his mind was racing.

_What do you mean, 'just like the rest of them?' Is this really what others think of me? What about Otousan? I know I'll never abandon the village. I'm not the traitor, they are. They're the traitors and they always will be._

**It was my first encounter in discovering how others felt about me. I once thought that maybe it was only these Jonin who dared to think of such things. I considered them the traitors for giving up so easily on a young soul. They'd thought I'd grow up to be like my father, possibly even Orochimaru. I was determined to prove them wrong.**

**As it turned out, they were right on that one account. I never did grow up to be like Otousan. Instead, I strayed towards the path of Orochimaru. One may think this was the end, that I grew twisted just after I graduated with flying colors from the Academy. Actually, they're wrong. There's much more to this story, much more to my betrayal. Too bad they'll never know.**

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Yeah, I know I could have done better. Sorry it was completely rushed, but once again, I had little time and wanted to put this chapter up as soon as possible. The next chapter will start out a year later, around the time Itachi activates his Sharingan.


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